WJPA Sports

WASHINGTON – The Wild Things got three huge swings and a quality start from righty Zach Kirby to beat Evansville, 9-3, pulling the Midwest Finals even at two games apiece, forcing a winner-take-all Game 5 Sunday afternoon. Washington plated five runs in the first. After loading the bases with one out, Jeff Liquori clubbed a two-run double to left center to give Washington a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, Caleb Ketchup finished an 8-pitch at-bat, driving an opposite field three-run homer to right, making it 5-1.

Evansville scored twice on Sam Linscott’s triple in the fourth, but Kirby slammed the door there. The Washington starter picked up his second win of the playoffs, striking out seven over seven innings while walking just one. Michael Foltz Jr. worked a clean eighth and Kenten Egbert the ninth to follow suit and finish it off.

Washington bats padded the lead in the seventh, adding four runs. Anthony Brocato delivered perhaps the biggest swing of the postseason thus far, a three-run no doubter to left center to make it 8-3. Liquori followed with his second homer of the series, as Washington went back-to-back to make it 9-3.  Brocato had struck out in his first three trips to the plate, snapping his bat over his knee after the third whiff. Brocato had just three hits in 25 playoff at-bats before his 7th-inning blast.

Game 5 is Sunday afternoon at EQT Park. Gates open at 3:00 pm. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 pm.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night. Lowe jumped on a pitch from Steven Cruz (2-4) and sent it into the seats in right field for his 33rd homer of the season, the second-most by a player in their first year with the Pirates. The two-time All-Star was acquired by Pittsburgh last winter. The home run was also the 96th at PNC Park this year for the Pirates, a club record for most homers at home in a season. The 1947 club hit 95 round-trippers when the team called Forbes Field home. Pittsburgh rookie outfielder Ronnie Simon hit his first career homer.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star right-hander Braxton Ashcraft will not pitch again this season because of right arm discomfort. Ashcraft was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 10 with the hope that he might be able to return during the final week. He was examined this week by Texas Rangers physician Dr. Keith Meister and advised to begin preparing for next season. Ashcraft finished his first full big league season 14-6 with a` 3.65 ERA in 28 starts.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Rocco Becht threw for 212 yards with two touchdowns, Koby Howard scored twice and No. 14 Penn State cruised past Buffalo 55-13. Becht secured his Bowl Subdivision-leading 29th win and the Nittany Lions capped their nonconference schedule in relatively easy fashion against an outmatched Mid-American Conference opponent that was outgained 305-80 in the first half. Penn State’s defense forced three punts and a turnover in the first quarter while its offense scored on its first three drives to put the game out of reach before halftime.

Lane Kiffin’s much-hyped return to Mississippi ended with a fourth-down failure. Jaylon Braxton intercepted Sam Leavitt’s pass into the end zone in the final seconds, setting off a raucous celebration that was nine months in the making and sending Kiffin and No. 7 LSU home with a 32-24 loss to eighth-ranked Ole Miss that showed just how hated the coach has become in Oxford. It was the second loss of the day for a top-10 team from the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky stunned No. 9 Texas A&M 31-21 on the road.